Clive Owen Returns as ‘The Driver’ in Neill Blomkamp’s Short Film ‘The Escape’ – Watch Trailer
Neill Blomkamp may be busy working on the upcoming untitled “Alien” sequel starring Sigourney Weaver. But in the meantime, the director teamed up with BMW Films to create a new short film titled “The Escape,” where Clive Owen is reprising his role as “The Driver.”
It’s been 15 years since BMW released “The Hire,” their series of eight short films starring the then rising-star Owen. Now, BMW Films is reviving the franchise as an homage to the original series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, aside from bring back Owen, BMW also regrouped creative director Bruce Bildsten, executive producer Brian DiLorenzo and David Carter, who also co-wrote the film with Blomkamp. Dakota Fanning, Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga also co-star.
“I was like, ‘Man, count me in,’ ” Blomkamp told THR. “When I was in film school, these films were really groundbreaking. They seemed like the perfect halfway point between commercials and features. I actually emailed the production company as a 20-year-old and was like, ‘I’d really like to make one of these.’ They wrote back, ‘Never contact us again.’ And here I am [laughs].”
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“The Escape” was shot this past summer, with visual effects wrapped on production this week. The 11-minute movie was filmed using drones and disposable cameras to shoot the signature car maneuverings.
The original series of shorts, “The Hire,” was released over two season from 2001 to 2002, each starring Owen hired to compete various missions. These projects were directed by various directors such as Ang Lee, Guy Ritchie, John Woo and Alejandro González Iñárritu, among others. The first season was produced by David Fincher, while the second was by Tony and Ridley Scott.
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BlomKamp is best known for his sci-fi films “District 9,” “Elysium” and “Chappie.” While the “Alien” sequel has no release date, (the production of the film was halted due to Scott moving forward with “Alien: Covenant”), Weaver assured fans that Blomkamp has written “an amazing script” and that the wait will be worth it.
“The Escape” will premiere October 23 at 6pm ET on BMWFilms.com.
Check out a sneak peek of the short below.
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